Transforming Preclinical Health Sciences Education Through Inclusive Living Laboratories: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of an Interprofessional Service-Learning Ecological Garden

Higher education in health professions often faces a pedagogical disconnect between theoretical basic science instruction and the development of clinical empathy, social responsibility, and interprofessional competencies. To address this gap, this study evaluated a campus-based living laboratory model integrating service-learning and therapeutic horticulture into preclinical health curricula to foster active knowledge construction and inclusive community engagement. A single-cohort, post-intervention pilot evaluation within a qualitative-driven, convergent mixed-methods action-research pilot study was implemented with pharmacy students (N = 19) collaborating alongside physiotherapy peers and local organizations supporting individuals with cerebral palsy and psychological functional diversity (ASPACE and Inclusión Activa). Academic evaluation data showed that 89.5% of participating pharmacy students (n = 17/19) achieved high-performance marks (≥7.0/10.0) in Pharmacognosy assessment components addressing plant identification and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Qualitative triangulation identified six core themes: applied learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, teamwork, social engagement, instructor impact, and overcoming fear. Interprofessional activities were co-designed with physiotherapy peers, while pharmacy students reported enhanced adaptive communication and clinical translation abilities. Embedding inclusive living laboratories within health curricula may offer a scalable approach that warrants further multi-cohort and multi-institutional evaluation to connect abstract scientific theory with human-centered healthcare practice.